The Beriev Be-6 was a flying boat produced by the Soviet Beriev OKB.
It was capable of accomplishing a wide variety of missions, such as long-range maritime reconnaissance, coastal and supply line patrols, torpedo/bombing strikes, mine-laying, and transport operations.
The Be-6 was a gull-winged aircraft with twin oval vertical stabilizers on top of a deep fuselage.
The aircraft was of all-metal construction except for fabric covering the rudders and ailerons.
The engines were installed in the bends of the wings, with the floats on an underwing cantilever rack. Each float was divided into four watertight compartments.
Variants
LL-143
Prototype of Be-6 with Shvetsov ASh-72 radial engines; nose, beam, ventral and tail positions for a total of six 12.7mm UBT machine guns.
Maiden Flight in March 1945.
Be-6
standard production aircraft with Shvetsov ASh-73 radial piston engines.
Qing-6
Be-6 aircraft of the ‘People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force’ re-engined with WoJiang WJ-6 turboprops.
Specifications
Crew
8
Length
23.5 m (77 ft 1 in)
Wingspan
33 m (108 ft 3 in)
Height
7.64 m (25 ft 1 in)
Wing area
120 m2 (1,300 sq ft)
Airfoil
Root
NACA 23020
Tip
NACA 23010
Empty weight
18,827 kg (41,506 lb)
Gross weight
23,456 kg (51,712 lb)
Max take-off weight
29,000 kg (63,934 lb)
Maximum alighting weight
20,928 kg (46,138 lb)
Powerplant
2 × Shvetsov ASh-73TK 18-cylinder air cooled radial piston engines,
1,800 kW (2,400 hp) each
Propellers
4 bladed V-3BA-5 constant-speed propellers
Performance
Maximum speed
414 km/h (257 mph, 224 kn) at 1,800 m (5,906 ft)
377 km/h (234 mph; 204 kn) at sea level
Cruise speed
280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn) at 2,000 m (6,562 ft)
Alighting speed
147 km/h (91 mph; 79 kn)
Range
4,800 km (3,000 mi, 2,600 nmi)
Service ceiling
6,100 m (20,000 ft)
Time to altitude
5,000 m (16,404 ft) in 20 minutes
Armament
Guns
5 × 23 mm (0.91 in) Nudelman – Rikhter NR-23 auto cannon in 3 remotely controlled turrets
